The Chevy Bench Seat - Part 17 - Oct 7, 2007

Working slowly, I cut out each piece one at a time. Be careful not to erase your index marks - another drawback to using chalk.

I did have to go back and complete a couple of cuts with shears. The right angle cuts in the corners of the boxing were easier to cut with shears, and the rotary cutter missed going all the way through in a couple of places - nothing longer than about 1 ½ inches. Generally speaking, inside cuts (especially right angles) are better done with scissors or shears.

One thing I forgot to mention when you use the rotary cutter is that you need to have whatever you're cutting on a hard surface that you don't mind scratching. The blade WILL scratch the surface of whatever you're cutting on, so using your dining room table probably isn't a good idea. There are mats available that are made especially for this purpose. Bob was okay with me doing this right on the table in class - these tables are so scratched up, you couldn't find where I had cut my pieces out when I was finished.

Another problem I encountered was lack of room. I had to get my patterns laid out and get my vinyl cut rather quickly because one of the other students brought in a bench seat from his van and needed the table so he could start disassembling it. Once he was done though, I got my fabric out and started laying out the pleats.

Picture 1: The rotary cutter with the business end exposed and ready to cut. Be very careful and keep this away from the kids - this sucker is sharp! It IS a razor blade, after all.

Picture 2: The cut boxing and tail for the seat bottom. Not shown is the new vinyl with my index marks laid out, ready for cutting. I had to hurry up and cut these out because someone else needed this table.

Picture 3: Another shot of the tail and boxing. These tables are 10 feet long. This'll give you some idea as to how long that boxing is. I paid $8 a yard for this vinyl, so that's not too bad. Now if this had been leather or Ultraleather at $35 or more per yard…